Erggelet Brothers Old Vine Carignane, Contra Costa County, California 2021

Erggelet Brothers Old Vine Carignane, Contra Costa County, California 2021

Erggelet Brothers
Regular price $3500
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Made from 100-year-old Carignane grown in the sandy soils at Contra Costa's famous Del Barba Vineyard. The Del Barba Family has been farming vineyards in and around Oakley since the early 1900s, and this block is dry-farmed in pure Delhi sand with little intervention and even less water. Made by brothers Julian and Sebastian Erggelet, it's a rare, single-vineyard expression of one of California's oldest surviving Carignane plantings.
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Tasting Notes

"Bright and lifted, with notes of rose hip, cherry, and cranberry layered over red berries, sandalwood, and a touch of licorice. Light on its feet with a brambly, sand-driven freshness that keeps every sip lively." — Harvest Wine Shop

Details

Variety: 100% Old Vine Carignane
Region: Contra Costa County, CA — Del Barba Vineyard
Volume: 750ml
Alcohol Volume: 13.6%
Farming Practice: Dry-Farmed; Sandy Soils; Minimal Intervention
Cases Made: 118 (Super Small Production)
Serving Suggestion: Serve slightly chilled (55-60°F).

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About Erggelet Brothers

Erggelet Brothers is the Contra Costa County project of Julian and Sebastian Erggelet, two German-born brothers who traded a more conventional career path for some of California's oldest surviving vineyards. Their wines are a study in restraint — meticulous farming paired with hands-off winemaking, built to let a handful of century-old sites speak for themselves.

From Germany to Contra Costa

Julian and Sebastian grew up in southern Germany, where an early taste of their grandfather's leftover Riesling planted the seed for a lifelong interest in wine. Each pursued a different degree first — Sebastian in Philosophy & Economics, Julian in Medicine — before both circled back to winemaking: Sebastian returned to school for viticulture and enology, while Julian finished his medical degree. From there, the brothers spent years working harvests and cellars across France, Switzerland, Australia, and Spain, sharpening their palates before landing in California in 2014. After stints at respected Napa Valley producers including OVID and Seven Stones, they started making their own wine in 2015. Sebastian now also serves as Associate Winemaker at Grgich Hills Estate in Rutherford, while Julian farms full-time in Contra Costa County.

Why Contra Costa's Old Vines

The brothers were drawn to Contra Costa for its collection of century-old, own-rooted vines — a rare survivor of pre-Prohibition California planted by Italian, Portuguese, and Spanish immigrants in the sandy soils along the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. Many of these blocks, including the famous Del Barba Vineyard in Oakley, are still farmed by the same families who planted them generations ago. Erggelet Brothers sources fruit from several of these historic sites, alongside five acres of their own certified organic estate vineyard in Brentwood, farming with an almost obsessive level of care and minimal intervention in the cellar.

What Makes the Wines Distinct

Working with grapes like Carignane, Mataro (MourvĆØdre), and Zinfandel grown on deep, own-rooted sand, Erggelet Brothers wines tend toward brightness and lift rather than brawn — a reflection of both the sandy terroir and the brothers' European winemaking instincts. Farming is organic or practicing organic across the board, yields are naturally low, and cellar work stays deliberately light-handed, letting each vineyard's particular character come through in the glass.

Why Harvest Wine Shop Carries Erggelet Brothers

We're drawn to producers who treat old vines as something to protect rather than exploit, and Erggelet Brothers does exactly that — meticulous, low-intervention winemaking from some of California's most historic, endangered vineyards. If you care about where your wine actually comes from, this is a label worth knowing.

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What is natural wine?

Natural wine is made with minimal intervention both in the vineyard and the cellar. That means no synthetic pesticides, no added chemicals, and little to no added sulfites (30 ppm at bottling is the norm). Unlike conventional wines, natural wines are fermented with wild yeasts and showcase the true expression of the grapes and terroir. (If the winemaker is very talented and diligent in the winery...)

How is natural wine different from organic or biodynamic wine?

Organic wines are made from organically grown grapes, but can still have additives and excessive sulfites.

Biodynamic wines follow spiritual and lunar farming practices inspired by Rudolf Steiner. Biodynamic wines are typically organically farmed too.

Natural wines are usually from an organic and/or biodynamic source (although not always certified) and they use spontaneous fermentation using indigenous yeast and avoiding additives, stabilizers, or heavy filtration.

Is natural wine better for you?

Natural wines are often perceived as ā€œcleanerā€ because they contain fewer additives, sulfites, and chemicals. While there’s no clinical evidence they result in less severe hangovers, many people find them easier to process. Remember, the wine industry is not required to disclose additives in wine, so it's really scouts honor here. Corporate wineries tend to [allegedly and likely] add a ton of chemicals to their wine to cut costs and make a product taste the same year after year. Wineries are legally allowed to add 70+ additives to a wine without disclosing any of them. So...natural, minimal intervention, and classically made wines are the way to go!

Does natural wine contain sulfites?

Most wines naturally contain trace sulfites due to fermentation. However, natural wines typically have minimal to no added sulfites, staying well below the levels found in commercial wines. Wines in general have less sulfites than your typical dried fruits or even kale and spinach you buy from the store. The thought that sulfites in wine is what give you headaches is simply a myth.

How should I store my wine?

Ideally in a cool, dark place between 50–55°F (10–13°C). Because many classically made wines (what you'll primarily find at Harvest Wine Shop) are unfiltered and lightly sulfited, they’re more sensitive to temperature fluctuations and sunlight, so be sure to keep them cool. Also, some wines are meant to be consumed within a year from the year on the bottle, while others can age for 20 years! It all depends on the structure of the wine (Acid, sugar, alcohol, and tannin).

Where can I buy natural wine online?

You can explore our curated collection of natural wines from small, independent producers around the world — all available for nationwide shipping.

How do you choose the wines you sell?

We partner directly with small-scale, family owned winemakers who tend to farm organically, and biodynamically and make wine the way it's always been made (before corporate wine came to be). Every bottle in our collection reflects transparency, sustainability, and true craftsmanship.

What temperature should I serve wine at?

In general:

Chillable Reds: 52–58°F (11–14°C)
Full-Bodied Reds: 60–65°F (16–18°C)
Crisp Whites: 45–50°F (7–10°C)
Full-Bodied Whites: 50–55°F (10–13°C)
Orange Wines: 50–55°F (10–13°C)
RosĆ©: 45–50°F (7–10°C)
Sparkling Wines: 40–45°F (4–7°C)

Serving wine at the right temperature helps unlock its aromas and balance.

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